Combined stamp, stationery, and cash box.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.-

- H. A. WHITEHEAD. COMBINED STAMP, STATIONERY, AND CASH BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT-30. 1905.

I/IIIII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COMBINED STAMP, STATIONERY, AND CASH BOX- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented. Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed October 30, 1905. Serial No. 285,128.

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. WHITE- HEAD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brownsville, in the county of Haywood and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined Stamp, Stationery, and Cash Box, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a receptacle particularly adapted for use bymail-carriers on rural free-delivery routes, one of the objects being toprovide a handy, simple, and inexpensive device of the characterdescribed for the purpose of carrying stamps, envelops,registry-receipts, cash, &c., said receptacle comprising compactly andconveniently arranged compartments in such relation to each other as toenable the carrier to easily and quickly obtain access to suchcompartments and to carry the box with him from place to place withoutdisarranging or damaging any of its contents.

Other objects and advantages of my invention, as well as the structuralfeatures by means of which these objects are attained, will be madeclear by an examination of the specification, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals indicatecorresponding portions throughout, and in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of my comlete device, showing the cover or lid thrownback. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through thecomplete receptacle, showing the compartments and also showing the coverin closed position' Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section showing thecomartment es ecially adapted for registrybooks and t e like and alsoshowing the fastener-clasp whereby the lid is held in position whenclosed, and Fig. 4 is a detail of parts.

1 designates a box open at the top and at one end, as shown at 2. Hingedor pivotally mounted thereon at the other end is a lid or cover 3,provided with the extending edges 4, disposed at right angles therewithand which when the lid is closed down overlap the edges of the box toafford protection to the contents from dust, rain, &c. The box isdivided into compartments, (designated as 5,

6, 7, and 8,) which are formed by the sides of the box, the innerhorizontal plate 9, the two vertical partitions 10 and 11, and thehinged or pivoted inner cover 12, which is provided at its free end witha strap 13 in order that it may be easily raised when desired. Thiscover in lowered or closed position rests upon the sto s 14, projectingfrom the inner sides of the 0x 1. The compartment 5 is primarilyintended for the reception of registry-books, registered letters, andthe like and may also be used for currency. The compartment 6 is for therece tion of coins received for stamps, &c. T e compartment 7 isdesigned for stamped envelops, postal cards, and stamps of anydenomination and may also be used for small registered packages, and itscontents tend to hold the cover 12 in place when closed, and thecompartment 8 is preferably for twocent stamps, that denomination beingmost largely used, and in order that the stamps may not adhere to eachother or to the sides of the compartment I prefer to line thecompartments 7 and 8 and the lid or cover 3 with oilaper, so that theymay be kept perfeet y dry.

At the point of the lid or cover 3 which when closed rests directlyabove the compartment 6 I provide a slot 15, through which coins may bepassed to the compartment 6 without removing the lid, and in order toprevent dust from passing into the box through said slot Iprovide acover 16, pivotally mounted, as shown at 17, on top of the lid 3, so asto be actuated horizontally to cover or uncover the slot, the free endof said coverbeing held in place when closed over the slot by means ofthe stop 18, under which it slides and which is secured to the top ofthe lid. This lid 3 is also provided with a stra handle 19 forconvenience in carrying tfie same, and in order that said lid may remainsecurely in place when closed I provide a spring catch or look 20, whichworks in a notch or opening 20 in one side the body 1 and engages a lugor stop 21, secured to the interior thereof. Fixed on the spring-catchor look is a plug 22, passing through an opening in the side of the box,and by bearing upon the same with thumb or finger said spring-catch maybe pushed back out of engagement with the stop to release the lid whendesired, and for the purpose of convenience in raising the same I haveattached means of the handle 23, and it will be ob-- served that inorder to obtain access to compartment 5 it is only necessary to raisethe lid a short distance, whereas in other devices of this character itis necessary to throw the lid entirely back to reach any othercompartment, thus exposing the contents. By the use of my device thisobjection is overcome. It will further be observed that I have providedmeans for depositing coins in the coinreceptacle without raising thelid, an advantageous feature not possessed by other similar devices.When the lid or cover is raised, exposing compartment 7, access tocompartment 8 is obtained by means of the leather strap 13, mounted onthe lid 12.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of mydevice, it is obvious that modifications of form and arrangement ofparts may be made within the limits of the claim without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not, therefore, desireto be restricted to the precise construction and arrangement shown.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

A receptacle of the character described comprising the rectangular bodyportion 1 having its top and one of its ends open, the flanged cover 3of right-angular form to close the open top and side of said body, saidcover being hinged upon the closed end of said body portion and havingin its top the slot 15, means for locking said cover in its closedposition, the horizontal plate 9 and the vertical partitions 10 and 11fixed in said body portion to form the compartments 5 and 6, thecompartment 6 being beneath the slot 15, the closure 16 for said slot,the partition 12 hinged in said body portion to form the compartments 7and 8, the stops 14 to limit the inward swinging movement of said hingedpartition 12, and a handle upon said hinged partition, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY A. WHITEHEAD.

Witnesses H. L. JEFFERIES, J. C. MooDY.

